Translate

Sunday 29 March 2015

Mr Selfridge Series 3 Episode 10 Review

It's crunch time as Crabb (Ron Cook) anxiously tallies up the profits and Harry (Jeremy Piven) waits impatiently for the verdict.  The board members arrive, led by Loxley (Aidan McCardle) of course and Grove (Tom Goodman-Hill) tells Kitty (Amy Beth Hayes) to stall them, but we have no idea what Kitty said to stall them.  As Grove races up the stairs.  The final figures are in as Crabb tells Harry they've made a profit of 6.4% which isn't 10% but they're on their way as Harry tells Loxley. Of course it's not what he wanted and stresses Harry promised to give them 10% and he hasn't delivered.  Harry tells them Loxley's leading them on a wild goosechase since it's all personal for him and he's nothing but a profiteer.  Loxley counteracting by telling them he's now got a charity for servicemen.  Harry adding those very men attacked Kitty and Loxley makes out that it was her fault she was attacked, by working too late and "slathering" in make-up.  Harry tells him he means that she asked for it.  Then comes the real crux of Loxley's damning argument and Harry gets to show the board that for Loxley, it is personal.  As he mentions Lady Mae and how she's his friend.  Loxley saying she's a whore and Harry remarking her husband doesn't think so.  As well as Barratt (John Arthur) reminding Loxley that they're in a place of business.

Crabb has projected forecasts for the year end profits and the figures show they will be turning over a profit and the sales will continue.  Harry reminding them also that their final figures aren't in until October and September is their biggest month with the launch of the Autumn collection.  They take a vote to out Harry in a no confidence vote and Miss Plunkett (Sadie Shimmin) tallies up the votes  7-2 in favour of keeping Harry. Yeah only cos there's another series and we have to watch his slow demise some more still, since in real life Harry was ousted in a vote of no confidence.  Loxley is disgusted and leaves with Harry adding if no one else is satisfied, then they can also leave, as Lowe (Richard Braine) leaves with him.  They're going to sell their sahres.  Guess Loxley didn't get hso own way as he stormed that Harry will knwo what it feels like ot lose something he loves.  Well eh will, but not the store, not just yet.

Loxley and Lowe later meet with a man who has a client willing to buy their shares and get a 15% stake in the company, the Selfridge family will still have the majority.  But Loxley once again adding that they're loyalty to him is crumbling.  In a way it is cos Gordon (Greg Austin) tries to tell Harry about his courting Miss Calthorpe (Amy Morgan) but Harry has other things on his mind.  Like the meeting about the Estate.  He tells Frank (Samuel West) he wants Nancy (Kelly Adams) to be there and Frank wants him to dig the first part of the land.  He also asks Nancy for info about her to write a biography on her.  So how much of that was she going to make up.  Harry gets a call that all £15,000 is in the bank.  Later she tries to tell Harry about herself but can only say that she's selfish and doesn't know why he'd even want her.

Princess Marie (Zoe Wanamaker) continues her investigation of Gerrard/Gus (Jolyon Coy) as she tells Serge (Leon Ockenden) what she found.  That his office was boarded up and he tells her not to make waves since they're now on good terms with the Selfridge's in a long time.  She later checks up on Gus at the Institute of Architects.  Harry tells Frank about his engagement to Nancy and he tells Kitty, who of course tells everyone else.  That was premature, but it must be really hard on him especially with what was to come, with his staff knowing how he fell for a con artist.  They all congratulate him and shower him with rose petals.  Nancy still goes through with the plan and tells Gus he'll be going to America and she desperately wants to marry him; as the Princess tries to tell Harry what she found out.  The family also hears of his engagement as Rosalie (Kara Tointon) guesses he wants to marry Nancy.  Which makes it even worse for Gordon, seeing as he can't tell him about Miss Calthorpe.  Lois (Kika Markham) tells the Princess that she should follow her gut instincts about Nancy if she knows anything.

At the site, Gus is asked where the well should go since the land is water logged and Nancy has to come to his rescue.  He doesn't believe he can pull this off and boy was he right.  The Princess finally tells Harry about Gus and shows him his work, that he's too young to have done all that over the years. Leading Harry to have his suspicions about him.  When Gus comes in for their meeting he asks about what he built for a certain Lord and he tells him about the lake and how it was also water logged.  He says it was a palm house, but Harry tells him it was aballroom.  He's arrested and Nancy was so flustered.  Wonder if she thought whether Gus would give her up.  Harry can't abide cheats,

George (Calum Callaghan) warns everyone to be on the alert for a group of shoplifters and they strike when Victor (Trystan Gravelle) and Elsa (Naomi Ryan) are there to buy some things for the visiting Prince of Romania who will be playing at his club and he's lost plenty of money.  They think this'll help get Regan (Sean Campion) off their backs as Elsa gets to invite the Prince to play baccarat.  Also Connie (Sacha Parkinson) notices the woman stealing a fox fur collar and the women detectives give chase, with George getting hit on the stairs.  Victor tells him he can come to the club tonight, his treat and to bring Connie with him.  But she doesn't want to go, it's not her thing.  She's more into dancing and she hopes George can dance.

Gordon finally tells Harry about Miss Calthorpe but Harry stops him in his tracks, he's the Deputy Manager and so can't be seen going out with an employee.  People will talk and it's not the done thing.  He was very set in his ways wasn't he, especially when it came to his children.  A case of 'do as I say, not as I do'.  But Gordon makes up his mind and tells Miss Calthorpe that he's going to leave the store.  Wonder if he'll actually end up doing that since Harry's going to be a mess.   Harry finds out that Gus has a sister and they've been conning people around the country.  It's unlikely his sister is here with him and so Harry might be in the clear.  The police describing her as good looking

Nancy takes the chance to pounce and withdraws the money from the bank as she makes her getaway.  So much for sticking by Gus, she doesn't want to end up in jail.  Harry works out that Nancy may be too good to be true and could be his sister, since she introduced them and goes to her place, but her clothes are gone, except she leaves behind the bottle of perfume he gave her.  He then drives to the site and finds nothing's been done there.  He finally gives up hope and ends up back at the store where she waits for him.  Telling him she didn't take the money and she would've done but she loves him and still wants to be his wife.  Harry scoffs at this and once again says she's nothing more than a liar and a cheat.  How could he possibly marry her.  No one can compare to Rose.  She tells him women are his weakness and he was lucky that it was her this time.  That's not much to be grateful about cos if the Princess hadn't snooped then she'd still have gone on deceiving him and living the lie.  She tells him it wasn't meant to be him but Lord Meadows and he asks if he was meant to fall for her too.

Violette (Hannah Tointon) tells Rosalie about Victor and how she loves him and how close they've been, implying she's been intimate with him too.  She declares her love for him, but he tells her she's not for him.  They're from different worlds and she hasn't worked a day in her life with her pretty hands.  She thinks it's cos he thinks she's spoilt and she was given things, things she didn't want, but she wants him.  He rejects her again, seems she can't take no for an answer but finally leaves.  Harry gets drunk and Violette tells him they're two of a kind.  She can't be happy and he tells her to go after Victor if he wants him.  He's changed his tune with her but not where Gordon was concerned.  She could have someone like Victor, but he couldn't have a decent girl like poor Miss Calthorpe.  Well it was hypocritical, especially after he told Agnes what she was like all those times and how he had high praises for her.

Violette tells Harry she's going to Paris to marry Jacques, cos she can learn to like him and they're the same people.  Harry doesn't want her to leave but she does.  That's Harry twice in tears over women! Really showing his vulnerable side as he heads to Victor's club and begins his old ways again of gambling and women.  Meeting the Dolly sisters who ask who he is.  Well there's another mark for them to take advantage of then and Harry is in a position to be taken advantage of right now.  He doesn't really care about anything as he hands over his chequebook.  That music in the gambling scene, thought it was James Bond for a minute!  Ha.  A scene to look out for.

Oh and quickly, Miss Mardle (Amanda Abbington) gives her notice and Crabb wakes him up to himself by telling Grove she's leaving cos of him.  She's been the heart of the store and an integral part of head of department.  He goes to see her at home and finds the house for sale. She reluctantly lets him in but he wants to part as friends.  He admits he took his grief for Doris out on her and his anger.  But she refuses to forgive him.  So he waits on the chair all night until she does.  She finally gives in and he says if she forgives him then he'll be able to be a better person.  She's his soul mate as he kisses her arms and her neck.  She gives in.  Well they were meant to be together since series 1 and he would've realized that if he hadn't gone after Doris.

So ends series 3 as we wait til next year for series 4.  Lots to come in terms of storylines, but by far the most interesting will be Harry's demise and how he'll be taken advantage of until his fortune dwindles.  We've come round full circle in a way since Harry's gone back to his old habits and ways, which is where he saw him back then, gambling, cigars and women, like Ellen Love.  But by far the line of the ep belonged to Harry when he told Nancy to, "crawl back under your stone!"

No comments: